The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-08-24
COLORADO OASIS.
It Lies Close by a Vast Basin of Pure Salt,
and Seems Paradise.

In the middle of the Colorado desert
there is curious depression in the
earth's surface, through which the
Southern Pacific Railroad runs The
lowest point is 260 feet below the sea
level, and here Is great body of salt,
more pure than any known to COM
merce, and in an abundance that may
supply the world if all other resources
should be exhausted From a point
on the road called Indie the descent is
rapid to this place of salt 1t was
once an inland sea, from which the
waters have apparently passed away
by evaporation, leaving a salt deposit
that resembles ice. Standing upon its
margin, we look upon perfectly level
and white crust of salt some 80 or 40
miles in length by perhaps 20 in width.
A tramway is laid over the crust to
distance of more than mile, over
which a steam dummy and train of
freight cars run to the mill where the
salt is ground. Beyond the mill a
smaller engine pushes its smaller cars
further out upon the salt crust where
the salt is gathered. The process of
collecting is very simple. Laborers,
provided each with a wheelbarrow,
shovel, and adze, go out upon the salt
field, pick the surface to the depth of
an inch or two, gather barrow loads
and wheel them to the cars. This salt
crust varies in thickness; in some
places it is but few inches above the
mud and water, and some places near
ly five feet in thickness. Liverpool
salt must be kiln dried before being
ground. Nature sends this to the mill
so dry that it may be ground as fine as
flour. AT the mill it is bagged and
marked for shipment, and is ready for
table or dairy use. This salt is SO per
cent pure, and is placed upon the mar
ket as New Liverpool" 1t is un-
doubtedly the purest salt in the mar
ket.
1t is on the rising slope from this
salt mine, some twenty miles away,
and in the very heart of the great Col
orado desert, that the Southern Pacific
people have struck artesian water At
the depth of 450 feet a flow of / 800
gallons an hour has been brought to
the surface. The bore is being pushed
downward for further demonstration.
This discovery of artesian water has
caused the location of about two town
ships of land, which is of good soil,
being covered with growth of mes
quite shrubbery and weeds. At the
station, lndio, where the company had
found water for train use by pumping,
there is a growth of pepper, locust,
cottonwood and palm trees, all doing
well and attaining great growth.
Grapes, watermelons, tomatoes, roses,
geraniums, and morning glories are
there seen in fiourishing condition.
Grapes and watermelons ripen in
June.
The gentlemen who have located
this tropical Eden will experiment in
the direction of tropical productions.
Already they talk of cotton, coffee and
tobacco. That it will produce better
oranges than San Bernardino or Riv-
erside they do not doubt. San Fran
cisco is to receive from this paradise
its early watermelons, its berries and
sweet potatoes. Only a few miles
from the line of the road is a grove
of 1000 date palms, reaching a great
height, and bearing the real but very
small and inferior date. The foot hills
are skirted all along with these palm
trees. In these mountains, it is said,
are productive valleys well supplied
with water, but it sinks when it touches
the level of the plain. This is mar
velous and wonderful land, and moth
ing caused the writer greater surprise
than the soil and water discoveries
constantly being made in these desert
places. Places that are very inaccess-
ible, that are embedded in mountain
canons and away from civilization are
becoming the luxurious homes of in
dustrious and enterprising people who
have the nerve to go somewhat beyond
the confines and boundaries of present
genteel life. What Gods blessing it
would be to the members of Henry
George Anti-Poverty party if some
kind, powerful genie would clothe
them all, and then lift them out OF the
city slums, tenement houses, politics,
gin, idleness and crime, into these
mountain and desert homes where pow
erty is only known Id destitution
only felt by those VIII ee unable or
unwilling to toil.-Sa Francisco ar